An Indianapolis man has been arrested and charged with the murder of a woman whose body was discovered beside a dumpster in August 2024. The suspect, identified as Wesley Clark Jr., 58, was linked to the crime scene after blood found in his SUV matched that of the victim, Yolanda Shields, 38, FOX59 reports.
Court documents indicate that on August 4, 2024, Shields was found dead outside a restaurant supply store located on the 3300 block of N. Shadeland. According to WTHR, a friend of the victim first discovered her body upon returning from a nearby gas station. The witness told police he attempted to rouse Shields, but soon realized she was dead after touching her fingertips. Following the gruesome discovery, it was the witness's friends who dialed 911.
An autopsy later confirmed that the victim suffered multiple gunshot wounds, including shots to her shoulder, chest, and head, as detailed by FOX59. Upon the arrival of police at around 3:30 p.m. that day, Shields was pronounced dead.
In the course of the investigation, police recovered a black Ruger 9mm semi-automatic handgun along with a matching magazine and one fired bullet in the suspect's Chevrolet Traverse, as reported by IndyStar. Despite the evidence, Clark Jr. claimed to have had no acquaintanceship with Shields, and a motive for the killing has not been revealed in the court documents.
The case is yet ongoing as Clark Jr. faces a formal charge of murder, and his jury trial is scheduled for May 19.
